ricochet

plural ricochets

1. governmentA method of firing a projectile so that it skips along a surface.
2. An instance of ricocheting; a glancing rebound.

   And you've not been hit / By flying lead / You'd better close your eyes / Bow your head / Wait for the ricochet

   1970, “Child in Time”, in Deep Purple in Rock, performed by Deep Purple

present singular third person ricochets · participle present ricocheting · UK especially participle present ricochetting · participle past ricocheted · past ricocheted · UK especially participle past ricochetted · UK especially past ricochetted

1. To rebound off something wildly in a seemingly random direction.

   The truth is that our love / Will ricochet through eternity

   2023, “It Must Change”, in My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross, performed by ANOHNI

   2 more examples

   Everything that could go right for England did although they never felt lucky and they chuckled at Kane’s third that ricocheted off his heel while he was looking the other way.

   2018 June 24, Sam Wallace, “Harry Kane scores hat-trick as England hit Panama for six to secure World Cup knock-out qualification”, in Telegraph (UK), retrieved 24 Jun 2018

   Before the interval an Alibade strike ricocheted off the back of Bright after Ifeoma Onumonu’s cutback. Then in added time Uchenna Kanu smacked a header off the top of the bar.

   2023 August 7, Suzanne Wrack, “England beat Nigeria on penalties to reach Women’s World Cup quarter-finals”, in The Guardian

2. governmentTo operate upon by ricochet firing.